18 December 2009

2008 Colores del Sol Malbec Reserva

What do you do when you've got holiday leftover side dishes but no turkey or ham? A narrow strip steak fits in nicely on a crowded plate, but this demands a somewhat bolder wine than the usual holiday middle-weight compromises.

Faced with this delicious dilemma, I poured the 2008 Colores del Sol Malbec Reserva from the Luján de Cuyo region of northern Mendoza in Argentina. $13, 13.5% abv. Blackberry and plum nose, with a touch of pencil shavings. Starts off pretty brash and tart, but with a couple of hours of breathing it is smooth and fruit-filled, and a slightly ashy plum flavor pulls through. Strong tannins on the finish.

With this ample bounty on my plate, full of all sorts of wonderful flavors and textures, it's still the humble deviled egg that brings me the most joy. They're easy to make, I almost always have all the necessary ingredients on hand, and they're a good platform for some recipe modification and experimentation. But I almost never eat them except around the holidays. Hmmm... might have to make another batch and incorporate some of that pickled okra.

I was considering a separate blogroll just for southern bloggers, but it's increasingly looking like I'll need a whole section just for Atlanta. :)

The Colores del Sol isn't hot; 13.5% doesn't bug me, it's more when things get into the 16-17% range that it's obnoxious. As for how I'd rank it, I think it's a pretty good wine for the price. Most of the Malbecs I drink are in the $10-15 range. Much better Quality Price Ratio than you get with most Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir at that price point.

I've had some higher-end Malbecs, and they were quite lovely.

Joe,

If you'll note there's a dab of cranberry sauce on my plate. I did try the wine on its own, but cranberries will reset the tartness sensors on your tongue.

I decant a lot of younger wines. Certain things like Carmenere I think are almost required to be decanted. Sometimes just two hours can turn that ugly duckling into a swan.

Oh, and that "Wine Tonite" guy is a scoundrel. Don't let him comment here :)

Y'all behave here. We don't tolerate no fussin' and feudin'. Take that out back and try not to rile up the dogs and chickens. ;)

Benito,When I first looked at that pic, I said "wait a minute -- is that a deviled egg I see on that plate?!" That, to me, just screams "Southern holiday meal," or "Southern Cook-out," in the summer. (That's what we call 'em in my neck of the South, I know in other parts of the country "cookouts" are referred to as "BBQ's"). Man, my Dad just loves to make deviled eggs, and everyone in my family adores them. Except me. I never could, never did, never will, I don't think. Anyway, the rest of your meal in that pic there looks completely yummy!

All hail the cookout! It can be difficult explaining to Yankees that cooking and eating outdoors isn't just a holiday or special occasion thing, it's often done just for the pleasure of getting together and eating.

I've done a lot of posts with wine and Southern food... Sauvignon Blanc with fried catfish, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo with pulled pork, etc. One of these days I'll try to find the perfect pairing for a pimiento cheese sandwich.

Benito -- I've got the perfect pairing for a pimiento cheese sandwich -- it's our old friend, dry Rosé! Seriously, when I was drinking my way through Rosé after Rosé this summer, I paired it with everything you can think of -- from hot dogs to pizza to pancetta biscuits, and lots of other things besides.

So one night,I made these great little things called "pimiento cheese tartlets," which are soooo easy to make, and paired them with a Rosé called Le Poussin Rosé 2008.(really dry, with hints of raspberry. The nose smells of freshly cut flowers and light berries; the taste is outstanding, with a kind of watermelon-y finish.) It was an awesome match.

I wrote about the recipe and the wine on my blog, I believe it was back in early October. You have to try a pimiento cheese sandwich with dry Rosé -- and let me know what you think!

I'll give that a shot when I get a chance. Earlier this summer I tested the theory that dry rosé will pair with anything, so I served one with a ten-year-old MRE that had been sitting in storage. It's the first time I ever ate food that was older than the wine I was drinking.